Posted Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 04:00 PM PST by Mike Attebery
Verizon’s CEO Ivan Seidenberg, in a speech given at the Paley Center, talked about the future of Hulu, calling it no more than a phase. New technology, he says, will make it all irrelevant.
There are definitely fair criticisms of the Hulu streaming service from a corporate and consumer standpoint alike. From the corporate side, Hulu’s ability to turn viewers into dollars has been disheartening. From the consumer side, the lack of high definition content and limited viewing windows make Hulu a supplemental service at best, rather than a primary mode of viewing.
Verizon’s CEO Ivan Seidenberg doesn’t cite any of this as the problem with Hulu, instead implying that the fickle public will simply tire of the service when new technology presents itself.
“When you think of the change, look at Hulu and the dialogue and debate, and you say, O.K. this is in for the next eight to twelve months,” he says, downplaying the services ability to stay relevant. “In two years it won't matter because the world will have moved on."
As an example of just how fast technology moves, he made reference to Sixth Sense, a mini projector for cellular phones.
Seidenberg also talked about the expansion of FiOS television, saying that paying retransmission fees are all part of the cost of entry. “You don't enter an industry and not play by the rules,” he noted. When the issue of Comcast’s acquisition of NBC Universal was brought up, he simply said “The only issue is do they treat us fairly and consistently. I assume our lawyers will work that out.”
Source: Broadcasting & Cable
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